Moustache Mardi 27: The Sympathetic One for the City

Moustache’s week has gained another day. Many of the French manufacturer’s models are named after days of the week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are already taken. Now Tuesday too. Because that’s the name of the newcomer to the range – or rather Moustache Mardi 27.

If we are to believe Moustache’s words, this urban low-step has very special talents. The manufacturer advertises the Mardi 27 with the slogan: “It’s the bike that understands your daily life!” Ok, even we have our difficulties with that from time to time. So any assistance is welcome here. Especially if it’s electric 😉 Sorry, a kind of lame gag.

The new one is a stopgap

At first glance, the presentation of the Mardi 27 seems somewhat surprising. After all, the manufacturer already offers two ebikes with a low-step frame with the Samedi 28 and the Lundi 27. Both are available with the older Bosch drives as well as with the Smart System. In terms of price, the Mardi 27, Samedi 28 and Lundi 27 are at a similar level. Especially with its optional additional front carrier, the latter proves to be extremely practical in everyday life, for example if you permanently use a child’s bike seat on the rear rack.

So why a third low-step bike? Because all previous models are equipped with derailleur gears. In other words, the popular combination of a low-maintenance hub gear with a belt drive and a most convenient way of getting on and off the bike was still missing. Until now. The Mardi 27 follows precisely this concept.

Minimalistic look does not come at the expense of comfort

The bike is based on a hydroformed aluminium frame. Its down tube consists of an extruded triple cavity construction which, according to Moustache, promises a particularly high degree of rigidity. All cables run almost completely inside the frame.

Behind the purist look, however, there are details that ensure sufficient comfort while riding. For example, the height-adjustable stem improves your options for adapting one of the three frame sizes S, M and L to your body length. Thanks to the suspension fork and suspension seat post, even rough cobblestones won’t spoil your enjoyment on your rides through the city. And the 2.4 inch wide tyres absorb the first vibrations directly on the road.

Suspension seat post

Various forms of theft protection

The rear rack, which is a sort of must-have for an ebike of this type, features practical QL3 studs on the sides. These make it easy to attach and remove side panniers matching this standard. A MIK HD system is integrated into the loading area, allowing you to attach a child’s bike seat and other useful accessories with just one click. Moustache likes to install a frame lock on its urban ebikes. This is also the case here. The solution may seem a little old-fashioned. However, the chosen AXA XXL Block allows you to add an AXA plug-in chain. At this point at the latest, some of you will probably be happy to have something traditional on your bike.

For everyone else, the top model in the range, the Mardi 27.6, comes with a Bosch ConnectModule fitted as standard. The GPS tracker integrated into the frame is the key to the eBike Lock and eBike Alarm functions in the eBike Flow app from Bosch. Even if the acoustic signal tone of the eBike Alarm could easily be ten decibels louder, at least less professional thieves will be spooked by it. If the bike is nevertheless stolen, the tracker sends position data for several days and can therefore help to recover the bike.

Moustache gives you the choice

You can see from the features that Moustache uses a drive from the Bosch Smart System portfolio on the Mardi 27. The Bosch Performance Line was chosen for the motor. This is generally considered to be somewhat quieter than the Bosch Performance Line CX. At 75 Newton metres, its torque is ten Newton metres less. Nevertheless, this should be more than enough for cycling in an urban setting in the vast majority of cases.

The differences between the two equipment variants Mardi 27.4 and Mardi 27.6 can be seen when looking at the battery and display. The cheaper Mardi 27.4 has a Bosch PowerTube 500, but you also have the option of opting for the next largest PowerTube with a capacity of 625 watt hours. This adds another 200 euros to the actual price of 3,699 euros. Nevertheless, this is worth considering. Anyone wishing to purchase the PowerTube 625 separately at a later date will face a recommended retail price of 899 euros. According to Moustache, the range increases from 115 kilometres to 146 kilometres with the larger battery. The Mardi 27.6 is supplied by Moustache with the Bosch PowerTube 625 as standard at a price of 4,799 euros.

Which gearing is best?

For the display, the options are Purion 200 on the Mardi 27.4 or SmartphoneGrip plus the Purion 200 on the Mardi 27.6. In general, operating the e-drive via the Purion 200 is already a good solution. You are shown key riding data directly on several screens and can of course also see which support level you are travelling in and how much capacity your battery has left. The SmartphoneGrip gives you the option of charging mobile devices and using the larger display of your smartphone for navigation. There will be fans of both variants. The cheaper model has the advantage that the SmartphoneGrip can be retrofitted at any time.

However, the main reason for the large price difference between the two versions of the Mardi 27 is the hub gears fitted in each case. Experience has shown that both the simpler Shimano Nexus 5 and the Enviolo TR work very reliably. The big advantage of the Enviolo hub is its stepless shifting over a wide range of 380 per cent. With the Shimano hub, you are limited to five fixed gear ratios that only cover a range of 263 per cent. Depending on the profile of the routes you usually ride, one or the other may be more suitable. In the end, the fact that the Nexus 5 runs with a chain while the Enviolo TR is driven by a belt is of secondary importance.

Moustache Mardi 27 at a glance

• Variants: Mardi 27.6, Mardi 27.4
• Frame: 6061 T4-T6 aluminium
• Frame sizes: S, M, L
• Fork: SR Suntour Mobie 25, SR Suntour  XCM32-ATB
• Motor: Bosch Performance Line
• Battery: Bosch PowerTube 625, Bosch PowerTube 500
• Display: Bosch SmartphoneGrip, Bosch Purion 200
• Drivetrain: Enviolo, TR, Shimano Nexus 5
• Brakes: Shimano MT200
• Weight: 28.7 kg / 28.6 kg
• Maximum permitted total weight: 135 kg
• Colours: Fir Green glossy / Stone Grey glossy
• Price: 4,799 euros / 3,699 euros

Pictures: Moustache Bikes SAS Cycle Me